Reversible Footwear

ABSTRACT

Reversible footwear includes a flexible sole, flexible vamp and flexible quarter combined with stretchable inserts in the upper located at approximately the arch position of the footwear. A removable insole may be added to the footwear. The insole is removed prior to reversing the footwear and then reinserted after the reversal is completed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to footwear; specifically, reversible footwearmade of flexible materials and having stretchable inserts in the medialand lateral sides of the upper in approximately the arch area of thefootwear.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The reversible footwear described herein is constructed in a uniquemanner which distinguishes it from the prior art designs. A very simple,but effective, construction allows a user to quickly reverse theinterior and exterior portions by essentially turning the footwearinside out. The footwear includes flexible portions and stretchableinserts in the upper at approximately the arch position of the footwearon both the medial and lateral sides. A removable insole may be added tothe footwear. It is removed prior to reversing the footwear and thenreinserted after the reversal is completed.

The design allows the footwear to be constructed with traditionalmaterials and requires the use of only simple manufacturing techniques,resulting in a cost effective product that can be quickly produced inlarge quantities.

The accompanying diagrams and descriptions will aid in the visualizationof the described features, and functionality of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the footwear alsoillustrating a removable insole that can be inserted through the openingin the upper.

FIG. 2 depicts the beginning of the reversal process wherein the heelportion of the sole is passing through the opening in the upper.

FIG. 3 depicts the near completion of the reversal process of the heelportion wherein the heel portion of the sole has almost completelypassed through the opening.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the migration of the toe portionof the sole through the opening.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sole and one side of the footwearafter reversal is completed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 1 after reversalhas been completed and depicting the insole being inserted with theopposite surface facing upwardly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of the reversible footwear 2in perspective view. The footwear includes an upper 4 that comprises aflexible quarter 6, a flexible vamp 10, a flexible sole 8 and twostretchable midpieces 12 on each side of the footwear. The flexible sole8 has a heel portion 8 a generally under the heel of a wearer and a toeportion 8 b generally under the toes and transverse metatarsal arch ofthe wearer. The midpieces 12 are generally trapezoidal shaped gussets orgores but other shapes could be used, including triangular orrectangular. In the disclosed embodiment, the midpieces 12 are locatedin approximately the longitudinal arch area of the footwear on both themedial and lateral sides and are wider at the top than they are at thebottom where they meet the flexible sole 8, which facilitates increasingthe size of the opening 30 during the reversal process. The midpieces 12do not necessarily have to extend all the way to the flexible sole 8.The reversible footwear includes an optional insole 20 that is removableto facilitate the reversal process.

The footwear 2 also has a vamp topline 26 and a quarter topline 28. Theflexible sole 8 includes a sole exterior surface 24 and a sole interiorsurface 25. As depicted in FIG. 1, the sole exterior surface 24 willtouch the walking surface and the sole interior surface will touch thefoot that is inserted through opening 30.

The figures depict designs 14, 15, 16 and 18 on the interior andexterior surfaces of the footwear 2 so that the reversal process may bemore easily followed. The designs depicted are for reference only andcould be any other design or no design at all. Because the product isreversible, what is denominated as an exterior design will become aninterior design, and vice versa, when reversal is complete. FIG. 1 showsthe footwear prior to reversal. A vamp exterior surface design 14 isdepicted as a circle and a quarter exterior surface design 16 is alsodepicted as a circle. An insole first surface design 22 is depicted as acircle on the optional, removable insole 20. A quarter interior design18 is shown as a rectangle, but it could also be any other design or nodesign at all. The surfaces themselves on which the designs are placedare not all separately numbered in order to avoid a tangle of leadlines. However, it should be clear that the first surface designs are onthe first surfaces of the footwear components and the second surfacedesigns are on the second surfaces of the footwear components.

FIG. 6 depicts the reversible footwear of FIG. 1 after the reversalprocess is completed. The first surfaces of the footwear components havebeen reversed with the second surfaces. In other words, the externalsurfaces have become internal surfaces and vice versa. In FIG. 1, thevamp second surface design 15 is hidden, but after reversal is visiblein FIG. 6. The insole 20 has been flipped in FIG. 6 to display insolesecond side design 23, which was not visible in FIG. 1. Flipping theinsole 20 is optional.

The reversal process is depicted in FIGS. 2-5, which show the migrationof the flexible sole 8 through the opening 30. The recommended procedureis for a single person to grasp the quarter topline 28 with one hand andthe vamp topline 26 with the other hand. Then, the quarter topline 28and the vamp topline 26 are pulled in generally opposite directionsstretching the stretchable midpieces 12. As depicted in FIG. 2, the soleis then pushed upwardly (relative to the figures) in the direction ofarrow 32 by pressing with the thumbs against the heel portion 8 a of thesole first surface 24 until the sole second surface 25 passes throughthe opening 30. FIG. 3 shows that the heel portion 8 a of the solesecond surface 25 has become an exterior surface and that the quartersecond surface design 18 is transitioning to become an exterior design.

After the heel portion of sole second surface 25 passes through theopening 30, the toe portion 8 b is pushed upwardly (relative to thefigures). FIG. 4 depicts what appears to be a foreshortened vamp 10.This is because the figure is two dimensional. It depicts the migrationof the toe portion 8 b between the steps shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. FIG. 4shows an intermediate toe portion 9 at the most forward end of thefigure with the remainder of toe portion 8 b still hidden within thefootwear. When the footwear is fully reversed, the entirety of toeportion 8 b is visible, as in FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 depicts the footwear from its bottom showing that the sole secondsurface 25 has fully transitioned from being an interior surface to nowbeing an exterior surface and that the quarter second surface design 18and the associated surface of the quarter have fully become exteriorsurfaces. The toe portion 8 b has fully transitioned. FIG. 6 shows thesame footwear as in FIG. 5 from the top, fully transitioned. To reversethe footwear to its original configuration, the steps above arerepeated.

It should be noted that the exact shape and size of the footwear is notlimited to what is depicted in the drawings. The footwear can be sizedfor adults and children, female and male. The footwear may include openportions in the upper as is common in sandals and the shapes of thecomponents may be different than depicted to conform to popularfashions.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather asan exemplification of the embodiment disclosed. It is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to this specific embodiment.Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the precise embodimentdescribed in detail hereinabove. With respect to the claims, it isapplicant's intention that the claims not be interpreted in accordancewith the sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. §112 unless the term “means” isused followed by a functional statement. Further, with respect to theclaims, it should be understood that any of the claims described belowmay be combined for the purposes of the invention.

I claim:
 1. Reversible footwear comprising: a flexible sole; an upper;the upper having a flexible vamp; the upper having a flexible quarter; astretchable midpiece between the vamp and the quarter; the sole, vamp,quarter and midpiece each having an exterior surface and an interiorsurface; the vamp having a vamp topline; the quarter having a quartertopline; an opening in the upper between the vamp topline and thequarter topline through which a foot may be inserted; the midpieceadapted to stretch when the vamp topline is pulled in a directiongenerally away from the quarter topline by hand when a foot is notpresent in the footwear; the flexible sole adapted to pass through theopening when the vamp topline is pulled in a direction generally awayfrom the quarter topline; whereby the exterior surfaces and interiorsurfaces are reversed.
 2. The reversible footwear of claim 1 furthercomprising a removable insole.
 3. The reversible footwear of claim 1wherein the stretchable midpiece is wider near the topline than near thesole.
 4. The reversible footwear of claim 3 wherein the stretchablemidpiece is a trapezoidal shaped gusset.